How Do Lobsters Communicate With Each Other? 5 Ways to Learn Their Secret Language

I often wonder how small insects like ants and cockroaches interact with each other. How do they communicate?  

If you are curious about how do lobsters communicate with each other underwater, then this blog post will explore this topic. However, Let’s start with a quick answer:

Lobsters use their pee to “talk” to each other. They have two bladders near their heads. They release urine from openings called nephropores near their antennae connected to antennal glands or nephropore rosette glands below their eyes. This urine contains special chemicals called pheromones. The pheromone-filled pee reveals whether the lobster is male or female if they’re ready to mate, and how strong they are. It helps mark their territory and show who’s in charge. The chemicals in the pee also help lobsters communicate with each other.

Amazingly, when a male wins, it pees on the female lobster’s face to attract it; in response, the female urinates or pees to signal his partner to give some space.

How Do Lobsters Communicate?

Different types of Lobsters communicate fascinatingly. They release urine laced with special chemicals called pheromones. It might seem strange, but this “chemical messaging” is effective underwater.

Pheromone Production

Lobsters have two bladders near their heads but don’t pee directly from there. Instead, the bladders connect to glands located below their eyes.  These glands add pheromones, a chemical, to the urine.

Pee Power

The urine exits through openings called nephropores located at the base of the antennae. This targeted “squirt” ensures the message reaches the recipient. Other lobsters have sensory organs on their antennae that detect the pheromones. It’s like smelling a message.

What The Lobster Pee Says?

By analyzing the pheromones, other lobsters can understand various things, like:

Love is in the Water

When he’s ready to mate, a male lobster’s pee becomes richer in pheromones. Females can detect this and decide if they’re interested. Interestingly, once a female is receptive, she pees on the male to calm him down.

Dominance Display

When lobsters fight, the winner pees more (around 3.5 times more) than the loser. This pheromone-filled urine might warn others to stay away or show the winner’s dominance.

Pee Power Stats

• Long-Distance Messaging: Lobster pee can travel surprisingly far—up to seven times its body length.

•  Imagine a human spraying someone 20 feet away with a message.

• Pee Frequency in Fights: Studies show that 89% of winning lobsters pee in fights, while only a small number of losers do.

Why Do Lobsters Use Urine For Communication?

We humans talk or write to communicate. It’s an ability nature has given us. But for lobsters, it’s different. Why do lobsters use urine for communication? If we think about how lobsters communicate with each other in water, why do they not use sound for communication?

Firstly, lobsters don’t have vocal cords to make sounds. They can’t speak like we do. instead, nature has given them a unique ability to use their pee for “talking.”  it’s not just regular pee but pee with special chemicals called pheromones. These chemicals carry messages to other lobsters.

This method of using chemicals to communicate is used by more than just lobsters. Many other animals, like ants and honeybees, also use it.

In the ocean, where molted or non molted lobsters live, pee with pheromones works better than sound for sending messages. 

It can travel through water and last longer than sounds would.

Do Lobsters Pee Out of Their Face?

If you’ve ever handled live lobsters, you might have seen a stream of liquid coming from near their heads (I have witnessed them several times during my research work at Whitney Lab for Marine Bioscience, Florida)

This might lead you to believe they pee out of their faces, but that’s inaccurate. You should know how lobsters pee.

Nephropores, Not Faces

• Lobsters release urine, but it comes from tiny openings called nephropores at the base of their second antennae (the smaller pair near lobsters’ mouth). 

• These nephropores connect to bladders, not directly to the urinary organs.

• Glandular Contribution: Urine doesn’t just come from the bladders.

•  Special glands, called antennal glands, located near their eyes, add chemicals called pheromones to the urine. These pheromones are like tiny messengers that carry information.

• The Power of the Squirt: When a lobster needs to pee, it contracts its bladder, forcing the urine laced with pheromones through the nephropores.

 The forward position of these openings allows the lobster to direct the “spray” forward.

Why the Forward Squirt?

This forward-facing pee serves multiple purposes:

• Defense Mechanism: The robust stream of pheromone-filled urine can warn other lobsters to stay away, marking territory or signaling dominance.
• Chemical Communication: The pheromones in the urine carry various messages, like attracting mates (males) or calming down a potential mate (females).

What Do They Communicate With Their Chemicals?

Lobsters might not have words, but they have a fascinating way to communicate with each other – using chemicals called pheromones. 

These chemicals are added to their urine and play an important role in lobster society.

Dominance and Hierarchy

Lobsters do live in a social hierarchy, but fights don’t necessarily result in lost body parts like organs or eyeballs (though injuries can occur). 

The fight’s winner establishes dominance and gets first dibs on mating opportunities.

The Power of Pee

Here’s where things get interesting – a winner’s urine changes.

The victor’s pee becomes richer in pheromones, making it more attractive to females.

Male’s Message

When a male lobster is ready to mate, he squirts his urine laced with pheromones toward females. This “pee-mail” is an advertisement announcing his availability and dominance.

Female’s Response

Females use their sense of smell (located on their antennae) to detect these pheromones. 

If a female likes what she smells (the male’s pheromones), she might approach his den.

Double Duty Pee

Interestingly, once a female is receptive to mating, she also pees on the male.

• This might calm him down or further signal her interest.

Mating Ritual

A prelude to mating begins if the male allows the female into his den. 

They cuddle with their antennae and legs (covered in taste receptors) for several days.

 Finally, the female molts (sheds her hard outer shell), exposing a soft body underneath. This is when mating occurs.

Bonus Fact

The female lobster can store sperm from a previous mating for a while, using it to fertilize her eggs even if she doesn’t mate again immediately.

After the female sheds her old shell (molting), she’s left with a soft, vulnerable body. 

This is a critical time when the dominant male protects her.

The mating ritual then unfolds:

Positioning

The male positions himself carefully over the female.

Cradled

The female cradles the male with her legs, facing him.

Sperm Transfer

Using specialized appendages called gonopods near his tail, the male deposits a packet of sperm into the female’s newly formed sperm receptacle (sperm pouch).

After The Honeymoon

Following mating, the female remains protected by the dominant male lobster for up to two weeks. 

However, after this period, she must leave his den. This allows the male to mate with other receptive females in the area.

Chemical Signals Continue

Interestingly, even during this cohabitation period, the female’s urine sends chemical signals. These signals inform other females that the male is already coupled up, potentially reducing competition and maintaining social order within the lobster community.

As you can see, the peeing lobster communicates to show affection. The male signals to a female that he likes it, and the female responds positively, but peeing back minimizes the male’s aggression.

Dominance

Lobster pee with special chemicals called pheromones. Winners spray more pee, a dominance signal to others, which might help them win mates first. (Though fights can cause injuries, losing body parts is less common.) Lobsters use pee to communicate social status. They squirt urine to remind others they’re dominant. It’s a signal, but if aggression is not minimized, it fights aggressively to show dominance.

Other Ways in Which Lobsters Communicate?

Spraying urine laced with pheromones is lobsters’ most well-known communication method, but they have other strategies for connecting with their partners.

Lobster Communication With Sound?

Lobsters communicate with urine laced with pheromones, but what about sound? It’s true that lobsters lack vocal cords, as already mentioned above, and can’t produce sounds like us. However, some research suggests they use sound for communication in a limited way.

How?

• Muscle Power: Some lobsters may produce a clicking or snapping sound by rapidly contracting muscles near the base of their antennae.
• These muscle contractions might cause their shells (carapaces) to vibrate, creating the sound.
• Lobsters lack vocal cords, and some may produce low-frequency sounds with a narrow range (bandwidth).  This means only other organisms tuned into that specific frequency can hear them. Interestingly, despite the low frequency, these sounds can travel surprisingly far underwater, potentially reaching distant lobsters.

Why Do Lobsters Communicate With Sound?

Lobsters lack vocal cords, but some can produce low-frequency sounds.  The exact purpose of these sounds remains unclear, but biological scientists have some theories. A Warning Signal? American lobsters made these sounds during experiments when encountering two known predators in the tank. cod and striped bass. This suggests the sounds might be a way to warn other lobsters of danger. We previously discussed how lobsters communicate with pheromones in their urine. But what about sound? Lobsters, indeed, lack vocal cords for talking like us. However, some research suggests they use sound for limited communication.

The Buzz About Lobster Sounds

Some lobsters can produce low-frequency sounds with a narrow range (bandwidth). 

• Only other creatures tuned into that specific frequency can hear it.
• Uncertain Purpose: The exact reason for these sounds remains a mystery.

Possible Uses of Sound

One theory suggests these sounds might be used as a warning.In experiments, lobsters made these sounds when encountering known predators like cod and striped bass.

Were they marking Territory? Another theory proposes that the sounds help lobsters mark their territory. Researchers observed lobsters attacking a device (hydrophone) used to record underwater sounds right before these sounds were detected, which might indicate a territorial response.

How Lobsters Communicate By Fighting?

We’ve discussed how lobsters use pee (laced with pheromones) to communicate. But fighting also plays a role in their social order.

Establishing Dominance

Lobster fights aren’t just random brawls; they’re a way to establish dominance within their social hierarchy. 

The winner gets bragging rights (and better chances at mating).

Weapons of Choice

Lobsters use a combination of tools during fights:

Powerful Claws

Larger, powerful claws can be formidable weapons. 

However, not all lobsters have equally sized claws (some even have one more giant claw than the other).

Antennal Power

Surprisingly, their antennae also play a role. 

• Lobsters use them to sense their opponent’s strength and size and may even grapple with them during a fight.

Can Lobsters Hear?

Lobsters don’t have ears in the traditional sense, but they can still detect sounds underwater.Lobsters have tiny hairs all over their bodies called hair fans.  These hair fans act like mechanoreceptors, meaning they can sense water vibrations. These vibrations can come from various sources, including sounds made by other lobsters.

Studies suggest lobsters can detect sounds below 250 Hz, with the best sensitivity between 80 and 120 Hz.  This is a much lower range compared to human hearing. Based on their sensitivity and the physics of sound underwater, scientists estimate that lobsters can likely communicate using sound over distances of up to 10 meters (around 33 feet).

The exact way lobsters use sound for communication is still being explored.

 While they can detect sounds, it needs to be clarified if they can differentiate complex sounds or use them for complex communication.

FAQS( Frequently Asked Questions)

Conclusion

How do lobsters communicate with each other? They use urine and pheromones. These chemicals help them share information about gender, mating, and social status, which helps them interact and find mates underwater. Lobsters show us that animals communicate differently from humans.